Sponsored By Curtiss Wright
https://www.curtisswright.com/
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Element 3 mission, led by prime contractor Kepler Communications.
April 15, 2026. Kepler Communications, a Canadian satellite telecommunications provider operating the first commercial optical data relay constellation, is leading a group of industry partners, including Astrolight, a Lithuanian space and defense technology company developing laser communication solutions for space, ground, and maritime applications. The companies have been awarded a multimillion-euro contract under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) High-throughput Optical Network (HydRON) to develop HydRON’s user-terminal segment, known as Element 3. HydRON is a project under ESA’s Optical and Quantum Communications – Scylight programme, within the Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES). Led by Kepler as the spacecraft provider and mission operator, Astrolight will provide its latest-generation ATLAS-X laser communication terminal for hybrid optical links across LEO, GEO, and ground.
The HydRON project aims to demonstrate the world’s first optical multi-orbit transport network in space, extending high-capacity, fibre-like connectivity into orbit and bolstering the resilience of European communications infrastructure through a secure, high-capacity, and interoperable optical data relay network.
HydRON’s Element 3 mission focuses on demonstrating the applications of laser communication technology within the user segment by creating a testing environment in real operating conditions. In the long term, it is intended to enable external commercial optical users to connect to the HydRON network and route their data through it.
As part of the mission, Astrolight’s ATLAS-X laser communication terminal will be hosted aboard a Kepler satellite for in-orbit demonstration. The mission will validate inter-satellite and space-to-ground links in LEO and attempt multi-orbit links between LEO and GEO. Following the demonstration, ATLAS-X will serve as a data relay node, enabling the Kepler spacecraft to connect with other elements of the HydRON network.
“Working with Kepler on HydRON Element 3 gives us a valuable opportunity to validate ATLAS-X in orbit and bring customers closer to a terminal that supports high-capacity and secure data transmission through next-generation optical communication networks,” said Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight. “As space becomes central to global infrastructure, supporting everything from telecommunications and national security to future in-orbit data centers, the need for optical connectivity will continue to grow.”
“HydRON will serve as the world’s first multi-orbital optical communications network with a terabit per second capacity, offering resilient and efficient data transfer to address the challenges of bringing connectivity to multiple users securely, quickly, and reliably,” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity. “Today’s signature with Kepler Communications continues our collaboration on the project, as they contribute their expertise in concert with their consortium to deliver Element 3; the component of HydRON that’s key to building new industrial capabilities, demonstrating new service concepts, fostering system extensions, and promoting international cooperation and interoperability.”
ATLAS-X is Astrolight’s next-generation low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) laser communication terminal, building on the company’s earlier ATLAS-1 and ATLAS-2 solutions. It is designed for both space-to-space and space-to-ground links and features a coarse pointing assembly, offering greater operational flexibility and easier deployment across a wider range of spacecraft. ATLAS-X is compatible with a subset of the ESA Specification for Terabit/sec Optical Links (ESTOL) standard and is SDA-compatible.
“As Kepler works with ESA to advance next-generation optical communications infrastructure in space, interoperable and low-SWaP terminals such as ATLAS-X will play a key role in opening these networks to a broader range of users,” said Mina Mitry, CEO and Co-founder at Kepler.
April 13, 2026 — Rohde & Schwarz today announced new signal simulation capabilities supporting Pulsar, the next-generation satellite navigation service developed by Xona. The new functionality enables manufacturers to test Pulsar capabilities quickly in production settings using Rohde & Schwarz signal generators, providing an accessible pathway for validating and scaling devices with next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing.
As demand grows for more precise and resilient navigation technology, the industry is preparing for a new generation of satellite signals. Xona’s Pulsar constellation, operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), is designed to complement existing GNSS infrastructure such as GPS by delivering stronger signals, improved accuracy, and enhanced resilience against threats and interference.
The capability will be available as a new software option for the R&S SMBV100B and R&S SMW200A vector signal generators, allowing engineers and manufacturers to test receiver compatibility with Pulsar signals as the new constellation enters scaled deployment. By adding Pulsar simulation to its test portfolio, Rohde & Schwarz enables device developers and manufacturers to begin validating compatibility with the emerging service.
“Navigation technology is entering a period of rapid evolution,” said Matt Hammond, North America Satellite Technology Manager, Rohde & Schwarz. “By adding Pulsar signal simulation to our signal generator portfolio, Rohde & Schwarz is preparing our customers for the next evolution of satellite navigation. Our goal is to provide the scalable test infrastructure needed to bring these innovations from development into deployment.”
“Pulsar is designed to upgrade the global navigation infrastructure while remaining compatible with GNSS devices already in use today,” said Bryan Chan, Co-Founder and VP of Strategy at Xona Space Systems. “Test and measurement solutions play an important role in enabling device manufacturers to evaluate compatibility as new signals become available. Rohde & Schwarz brings deep expertise in precision signal generation that helps make this possible.”
The R&S SMBV100B and R&S SMW200A vector signal generator will soon join Pulsar’s verified ecosystem program recognizing devices and testing solutions validated for compatibility with Pulsar signals. Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its navigation test solutions at Space Symposium 2026, taking place April 13-16 in Colorado Springs.
Proposal for caption: The new functionality enables manufacturers to test Pulsar capabilities quickly in production settings using Rohde & Schwarz signal generators.
Thales secures military navigation in electronic warfare environments with the TopStar Smart Receiver
- With its TopStar Smart Receiver, Thales combines three essential functions for seamless operations in a single unit: positioning, navigation and timing, with unrivalled resistance to interference.
- Its miniature form factor makes this solution the most compact and cost-effective currently available for integration into land vehicles, drones and munitions.
- Developed within a sovereign European industrial base, this new-generation receiver builds on Thales’ proven expertise as a world leader in Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies for over 30 years.
© Thales
Thales launches the TopStar Smart Receiver, a three-in-one ultra-compact solution providing land forces with resilient positioning, navigation and timing capabilities, while maintaining radio communications in increasingly contested electronic warfare environments. TopStar Smart Receiver can be integrated into land vehicles, drones and munitions.
This solution is equipped with:
- A dual-constellation GNSS receiver, integrating signals from military constellations, Galileo PRS, and civilian GPS, and providing resistance to spoofing, with enhanced accuracy and availability.
- An anti-jamming function: its adaptive CRPA (Controlled Radiation Pattern Antenna), reduces interference from jammers, and enables operation at distances up to thirty times closer than with a conventional GPS receiver.
- A high-performance clock, ensuring synchronisation of tactical radios for up to 48 hours following GNSS signal loss, versus 30 minutes with conventional equipment.
Produced entirely within a sovereign European industrial base, TopStar Smart Receiver is assembled at Thales’ site in Valence, France. This solution is already available for testing in real-world conditions.
“Powered by cutting-edge technologies, the TopStar Smart Receiver delivers resilient, high-performance Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities for land platforms, drones and munitions. Innovative, reliable, competitive and compact, it ensures mission continuity in the most demanding operations, showcasing Thales’ expertise and commitment to innovation in support of the armed forces.” Florent Chauvancy, Vice-President, Avionics and Flight activities, Thales.
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group allocates €4.5 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies. Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion.
Recent images of Thales and its Defense, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital activities can be found on the Thales Media Library. For any specific requests, please contact the Media Relations team.
11 Apr 26. Cyber Update
Key points
- A phishing campaign will heighten security and data-theft risks amid increased spillover cyber activity from the Israel-US-Iran war.
- The rapid exploitation of software vulnerabilities raises operational and financial risks from a high-profile cyber criminal group (‘Storm-1175’).
- US-based and -aligned critical infrastructure faces heightened operational and security risks from Iran-affiliated threat actors.
- A stealthy malware campaign underscores the long-term security risks facing high-profile, Taiwanese NGOs and universities.
Technical analysis of weekly stories
A high-profile cyber criminal group (Storm-1175) is exploiting known and zero-day vulnerabilities at a rapid pace. The group has successfully exploited zero-day vulnerabilities within a day of their discovery and, on some occasions, a full week before their public disclosure. It uses vulnerabilities in combination with payloads and other techniques to both obtain initial access to targeted organisations and to facilitate prolonged access, lateral movement, remote control, data exfiltration and ransomware deployment. In its most recent attacks, Storm-1175 exploited more than 16 vulnerabilities across ten software products to target the healthcare, education and finance sectors in Australia, the UK and the US. Upon infiltrating targeted systems, the threat actors create a web shell and/or install a remote access payload to establish an initial foothold, moving from initial access to data exfiltration and ransomware deployment in one to six days, highlighting the speed of its operations. Storm-1175 then employs a variety of tools – including Cloudflare tunnels and the legitimate software deployment tool PDQ Deployer – to move laterally within compromised systems and covertly deploy additional malicious payloads. This enables the group to exfiltrate sensitive information, before tampering with antivirus settings to ultimately allow for the smooth deployment of a known ransomware payload (‘Medusa’). We assess that these attacks underscore Storm-1175’s resources and capabilities.
Cyber threat group ‘UAT-10362’ used a new, stealthy malware variant (‘LucidRook’) to target NGOs and universities in Taiwan in a cyber operation in late 2025. The group distributed spear phishing emails to trick high-profile users into clicking on a malicious URL, which subsequently infiltrated targeted systems by downloading a malicious file archive. The archive then executed a malware dropper (‘LucidPawn’), kickstarting two distinct attack chains, which depended on the type of file deployed onto compromised systems. The more complex attack chain leveraged an additional malware stager that used an executable to decrypt and ultimately deploy LucidRook onto compromised systems. LucidRook contains two malicious components (written in the Lua programming language) that are responsible for conducting system reconnaissance, as well as establishing communication with command-and-control (C2) infrastructure and maintaining prolonged persistence. UAT-10362 also used decoy documents and encryption throughout the attacks to remain obfuscated and prioritise stealth. Furthermore, one of the Lua components enabled the group to tailor attacks upon execution, further highlighting the targeted nature of this campaign.
Non-exhaustive recommendations to mitigate these threats include:
- Monitor devices and networks for suspicious activity.
- Add available Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) to your organisation’s security systems to detect potentially malicious samples on the network; configure firewalls to block outbound communications to malicious IP addresses associated with any known malware.
- Adopt behaviour-based EDR solutions, prioritising the detection of the initial stages of a compromise.
- Conduct cyber hygiene awareness courses for users, enabling them to recognise and report phishing and other types of social engineering.
Our cyber word(s) of the week: Lua programming language
Definition: A type of lightweight, cross-platform programming language primarily used for web applications. It provides cyber threat actors with additional stealth and adaptability when writing malicious code.
Example: ‘LucidRook contains two malicious components (written in the Lua programming language) that are responsible for conducting […]’ (see our technical analysis above).
(Source: Sibylline)
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Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) has a long history with its roots dating back to Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first flight in 1903, and Mr. Glenn Curtiss, the father of naval aviation. In 1929, the companies founded by these three great aviation pioneers, the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and Wright Aeronautical Corporation, merged to form the largest aircraft company at the time, Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
We have continued on the path of innovation and advanced engineering, and have applied that expertise to a number of critical applications in high-performance markets. Our success has resulted in a world-renowned reputation for performance, long-standing customer relationships and significant growth and profitability in the markets in which we compete.
Today, we are a global, integrated provider of highly engineered, technologically advanced products and services. Our revenues are generated by providing our critical solutions through three segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics and Naval & Power, which support several of the largest, most vital industries in the world.
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